Tag Archives: coal

‘You can’t rebuild a mountain’: fallout of open-pit mining discussed

Photo by David Hoffman (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

Katie Morrison, director with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Southern Alberta (CPAWS) was recently interviewed about the Grassy Mountain Coal Mine. Other than a few jobs, it will help make an Austrailian coal mining company richer, by having access to coal that gets sold to Asian countries. Alberta will be left from with the damage.

Morrison, who used to work in oilsands reclamation in the north before moving to the southern Alberta region to take up her current position with CPAWS, explained the process of how open-pit mining works.

“Explosives and machinery are used to access the coal deposit,” she said. “There are various coal seams throughout the mountain, and they take off the overburden, the soil and rock, to get to those coal seams. That creates a lot of waste rock which essentially piled in adjacent valleys. Water is used to wash the rock and process the coal through, and then that water is put in sediment containment ponds. So essentially the mountain comes down, the valley comes up, and you are left with a sediment pond often filled with contaminated water.”

Morrison said those were the immediate visible impacts of this type of mining, but there were also longer-term health consequences for those working in or living near these mines.

Citing a health study from the Appalachian region of the United States where this type of coal mining is more common, Morrison outlined some of those health risks, which include higher rates of cancer, higher heart and lung disease rates, higher kidney disease rates, higher rates of birth defects, and higher levels of impaired functioning due to chronic health problems.

Source: ‘You can’t rebuild a mountain’: fallout of open-pit mining discussed

Does Alberta Need More Coal Mines?

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada has a report, ‘Environmental hazard assessment of Benga Mining’s proposed Grassy Mountain Coal Project’ written by A. Dennis Lemly. He states, “A scientific analysis of environmental hazards of the project reveals numerous flaws in both the projected environmental performance of the mine and its regulatory control. From both environmental and economic perspectives, the proposed mine will do far more damage than can be reasonably justified on any level.

Is it worth sacrificing people’s health and contributing to global warming for the sake of a job? [Read more]

This entry was posted in General and tagged alberta, coal, environment, healthcare, mining on October 4, 2020 by Steve.

The 2020/2021 Orphan Fund Levy and the Missing Consultation on Environmental Liability Management Reform

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Alberta’s liability management system addresses the environmental liabilities of coalmines through the Mine Financial Security Program (MFSP), which has been due for reform since an Auditor General’s report in 2015 found that the MFSP overstated asset values in a manner that could result in security amounts inconsistent with the “polluter pays” objective of the program. The MFSP currently has $1.47 billion in security compared to an estimated $31.39 billion in liabilities. Coalmine liabilities have not received much attention for the last few decades because they have been relatively small beside the gigantic liabilities of the oil sands mines that are also part of the MFSP, but coalmine liabilities have the potential to become significant again with the new wave of coalmines now seeking licenses.

The AER has hopefully been trying to design the new system for the last five years, if not longer, and Albertans should be concerned about this new liability system being designed behind closed doors. If the new liability system is developed in meetings between the AER and the energy industry to the exclusion of the public, the new system is unlikely to protect the interests of Alberta’s citizens in general and rural landowners in particular.

So what’s the hold up? My best guess is that the major players in Alberta’s energy industry are making contradictory requests of the government. Some companies are bitter-enders planning to pump Albertan oil for as long as possible, and looking for a reliable liability management system that protects them from paying for the risky behaviour of bankrupt companies. Other companies see the oilsands as an over-the-hill energy source and are looking to sell their assets, wave farewell to the province, and leave the smallest security deposits possible for their environmental liabilities. Whatever is going on, it should be going on where Albertans can see it.

Source: The 2020/2021 Orphan Fund Levy and the Missing Consultation on Environmental Liability Management Reform |

This entry was posted in General and tagged Alberta Energy Regulator, coal, Orphan wells, recovery on September 23, 2020 by Steve.

Concerns raised over open-pit mining in Crowsnest Pass

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This article isn’t right

CTV got the story wrong. It’s before a joint review panel, with hearings set to begin on Oct. 27.

The Grassy Mountain Coal Project passed its environmental assessment, which now moves to the public input stage.

“The devastation it would rot on this part of the world is not an acceptable trade-off for a few dollars and a few jobs,” said Dr. Alan Garbutt who used to practice in the area.

Now retired, Garbutt — who also holds a PHD in wildlife biology — cites previous reports on U.S. coal mining communities, and how mines having affected the health of those residents.

“The mere presence of a coal mine in the vicinity causes great increases in a lot of health problems,” he said.

“Ranging from premature births and low birth weight babies to COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and Cardiac and stoke problems.”

Environmentalists are also worried about the impact on habitat, wildlife, water quality and air pollution.

Source: Concerns raised over open-pit mining in Crowsnest Pass | CTV News

There are a couple of posts on the forum about these mines.

This entry was posted in General and tagged alberta, coal, environment, Jonathan Wilkinson on September 17, 2020 by Steve.

Crowsnest Pass at a crossroad

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In the months since my retirement from medical practice in Crowsnest Pass, I have conducted a detailed review of the likely impacts of the proposed Grassy Mountain Coal Project. What I have learned is disturbing, to say the least.

The mine, if permitted, will degrade both the water quality and the water quantity in the Crowsnest River and in the upstream tributaries that flow through the proposed project. The proposed impoundments (tailings ponds) are a huge concern, underscored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s report that all impoundments leak. Many fail. When they do fail, they spill huge amounts of waste into the downstream waterways. In the best case, a soup of toxic chemicals will be delivered to Albertans. In the worst case, the debris flow will engulf a hospital, shops and homes before the toxic soup impacts other Albertans.

Waste rock from mining releases selenium for decades. Despite assurances from the mine developers, no has ever successfully remediated that leachate. Teck has spent literally billions of dollars over many years trying to handle its selenium problem. Selenium has destroyed fisheries in many locations in the U.S., and is the likely culprit in the recently documented collapse of the trout fishery in the Elk River near Fernie and Sparwood.

People who live near coal mines face serious health risks. Negative health impacts start at conception and continue until death. The toxic effects can only be seen at the population level, but they are dramatic and sometimes fatal for people living many kilometres from a mine. Inhaling coal mine dust, a single example, is a known health hazard.

Source: Crowsnest Pass at a crossroad

This entry was posted in General and tagged alberta, coal, environment, healthcare on September 12, 2020 by Steve.

Teck shares plunge on Ottawa environment review of BC coal project

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Teck’s Fording River metallurgical coal operation in B.C. Credit: Teck Resources

Canada’s national association for miners, the Mining Association of Canada (MAC), is weighing in on the federal government’s decision to review Teck Resources‘ proposed Castle Mountain metallurgical coal project in British Columbia, saying the additional review is unnecessary as the project is already undergoing a rigorous provincial environmental review process, and accusing the government of making a political decision.

“We are very disheartened by the federal government’s decision on the Castle project given the expansion fell well below the threshold to being subject to the Impact Assessment Act (IAA),” said Pierre Gratton, president and CEO of MAC.

“This decision certainly has the potential to lead to longer timelines at a time of unprecedented global economic uncertainty.”

“It seems clear that this decision was political in nature as there are many projects across the country with equal or more significant impacts that are not subject to the IAA,” he added.

Source: Teck shares plunge on Ottawa environment review of BC coal project – MINING.COM

This entry was posted in General and tagged canada, coal, Jonathan Wilkinson, Tech Resources on September 4, 2020 by Steve.

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Steve MacLellan

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Tag Archives: coal

‘You can’t rebuild a mountain’: fallout of open-pit mining discussed

The 2020/2021 Orphan Fund Levy and the Missing Consultation on Environmental Liability Management Reform

Concerns raised over open-pit mining in Crowsnest Pass

Crowsnest Pass at a crossroad

Teck shares plunge on Ottawa environment review of BC coal project